In their own words...How are the survivors in the Speakers' Bureau able to recount their stories of horror and heartbreak, time and time again, and why do they choose to do so? Their answers, as presented in the Oct. 24 event program, are below."We are grateful to have survived the horrors of World War II and to have prospered in America. We equate our lost freedom during the Holocaust with the freedom now enjoyed by all citizens of this great country. While speaking about our experiences, our message to the students is one of tolerance of our differences and the need to protect freedom. The most enjoyable part of presentations was the dialogue (that) ensued from the questions asked of us by the students." - Ella and Harry Adler
"Speaking to young people is a way of teaching history and morality rather than merely conveying personal experiences. Through the years, I have met hundreds of wonderful educators and students. My prayer is that I have truly made a difference in their lives." - Fred Baron
"It took 34 years after the end of the Second World War before I could speak about my experiences. Now I speak in high schools and universities about my life during the Holocaust. At the end of my presentation, I tell the students never to miss an election. Let us keep democracy alive with freedom of speech and religion never to be taken for granted. By speaking about the Holocaust I would like every person to be aware of the horrors of this genocide, hopefully to prevent it from ever recurring." - Harry Fern
"I talk to students because I feel that it is important the younger generation should be aware of what happened to European Jews during World War II." - Daniel Geslewitz
"For the living and dead, I must bear witness." - Helen Handler
"Being a public speaker on the Holocaust for the past 31 years gave me the opportunity to keep alive the memory of the six million Jewish martyrs and all the victims of persecution who were killed in the various German concentration camps during World War II. Many of my family members, including my beloved father, were among them. I feel that we survivors who were witnesses to horrible crimes committed daily on prisoners in the camps have to make sure that our voices are heard and the Holocaust will not be forgotten or repeated, and that all the victims who were silenced forever will be honored and remembered. We are destined to be their representatives." - Magda Herzberger
"As the years pass and the number of survivors become less and less, the need to bear witness continues to grow. We are among the last witnesses who will never forget. We speak with hope that no child will ever have to live through the horror that was our youth." - Bill and Anna Koenig
"When I look into the eyes of the students I address, I am taken back in time to a place where children dressed in rags and stood expressionless on ghetto streets begging for a piece of bread. All denied a childhood, many the right to live. The Holocaust occurred when hate was left unchallenged; when indifference and discrimination would claim millions of victims. I speak so that America's youth might know the truth about the fruits of indifference in the face of oppression. The still small-voiced of millions cry out from the ground demanding I do no less." - Carl Ofisher
"Speaking before students has always been an emotional experience; but as time has passed, it's become easier. Through the years, we have shared our story to countless numbers that have been empathetic and most attentive. It is our sincere wish that these young people learn the lessons that perhaps studying the Holocaust teaches best; freedom is fragile - remain vigilant." - Dolly and Aron Redner
"It is our duty to speak to the young people of this country. We speak to educate; that children should know that the Holocaust did in fact happen. They should also know that it will not happen again as long as they are tolerant of one another and religion should never be a dividing point when it comes to friendship. If only one child remembers what we have shared with them, then we have fulfilled our sacred duty of remembrance." - Betty and Otto Schimmel
"When I speak to students, I try to impart to them the impact of brutality and hate. I discuss modern life, modern 'holocausts,' and how, despite all odds, I became a doctor. From my small Polish town, through the Nazi horror, I always held on to that dream. This is my message I convey to young people; never stop believing." - Dr. Alexander White
"I am grateful to the teachers that go the extra mile to teach the Holocaust. Most teachers have to do their own research as the textbooks provide very little information on the Shoah. As we approach the autumn of our lives, we hope that the students and teachers will remember after we are gone." - Magda Willinger
"I enjoy talking to people, young and old, about my experience during and after World War II. In my presentations, I try and bring out the good side of people I experienced during the Holocaust. Even though I lost my entire family, I was spared. There were many good Christian people who did not participate or condone the genocide. The other important point I try to make centers on the role Italy played in the Holocaust. ... I will continue to let people know that I, and many other children, were saved by the Italians." - Arnie Winninger
A statement was not available from Bernard Scheer. |
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